But his new role, in which he holds the reins of two ministries merged into one, puts tough challenges before the former CEO of tech giant Gojek.

The inauguration was part of Jokowi’s decision to merge the Education and Culture Ministry, which was helmed by Nadiem, with the Research and Technology Ministry that was led by Bambang Brodjonegoro.

The move also entailed the establishment of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) as an independent state body. Previously, the agency had the same status as the Research and Technology Ministry.

Jokowi inaugurated Laksana Tri Handoko, the former head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), to lead the new research agency.

Read also: Reshuffle marks new era of research, innovation

Weeks before the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, Nadiem had been touted as one of the ministers who may lose their jobs in the President’s reshuffling of the Cabinet.

Nadiem’s positions has been deemed precarious since his first day on the job in October 2019, as the post was traditionally held by figures connected to Indonesia’s second-largest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah. Four of Nadiem’s five predecessors were Muhammadiyah figures, the exception being Anies Baswedan, who is currently the governor of Jakarta.

In the last Cabinet reshuffle in December 2020, Jokowi offered Muhammadiyah secretary-general Abdul Mu’ti a position as deputy education and culture minister. But the latter rejected the offer, saying he was “not the right figure” for the position.

Several days before his latest inauguration, Nadiem visited notable figures of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the country’s biggest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) -- a move seen as an effort to shore up his new ministerial position.

On April 20, Nadiem posted his picture with PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri on his official Instagram account. He wrote in the caption that he had discussed his programs with Megawati, including the Merdeka Belajar (freedom to learn) and Profil Pelajar Pancasila (Pancasila student’s profile), during the meeting. 

Merdeka Belajar is a list of reforms in the education system under the Education and Culture Ministry that focuses on student performance assessments, classroom teaching plans (RPPs) and school zoning.

Two days later, he met with NU chairman Said Aqil Siradj to apologize over a brouhaha pertaining to the name of the Islamic group’s founder, Hasyim Asy’ari. Several figures had criticized the Education and Culture Ministry for not including Hasyim’s name in the ministry-issued historical dictionary despite records of his instrumental role during Indonesia’s struggle for independence.

While it was possible for Nadiem to look for support during his visits ahead of the reshuffle, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) political researcher Arya Fernandes said President Jokowi might also be discouraged to drastically his Cabinet lineup just four months after his last reshuffle in December last year.

“It’s difficult to avoid incurring political risks from his coalition parties [if he forced a major reshuffle]. That’s perhaps why the President only did a limited reshuffle this time,” Arya recently said.

Read also: Ministry merger feared to jeopardize focus on science, research

While Nadiem could breathe a sigh of relief for keeping his job in the Cabinet for now, a huge task of managing the merged ministries is now waiting for him. After previously handling education and cultural affairs, the new ministry is also tasked with handling policies related to research and technology.

Yanuar Nugroho of the Centre for Innovation Policy and Governance (CIPG) said the merger of two ministries with different programs and priorities would be one of the biggest short-term challenges for Nadiem.

“It’s not easy to integrate the [two ministries]. There are issues related to budgets and manpower [that the minister will need to resolve],” Yanuar said on Saturday.

He also expressed concerns that President Joko might send the wrong signal to the public with the merger, which might be interpreted as a lack of planning from the government.

“The merger conducted around one year after the Cabinet was formed shows a lack of deliberation prior to such a move,” Yanuar said. “The move was not tactical: It substantively erases policy-making functions in the research and technology field and adds more administrative work to the ministry.”

Some appear hopeful that Nadiem will quickly adapt to his new role, arguing that he would learn from controversies caused by his previous policies.

One of them was his Mobilization Organization Program (POP), which was aimed at improving teachers’ quality by involving various community groups and organizations. The ministry included some philanthropy groups as stakeholders in the program, such as the Tanoto Foundation and the Putera Sampoerna Foundation. The decision prompted protest from the NU and Muhammadiyah that led to the departure of both groups from the program.

Read also: Tanoto, Putera Sampoerna won't get grant money for teacher training: Nadiem

“I hope he has learned lessons from past controversies, because now he has to lead the [merged] ministries,” education consultant Indra Charismiadji said. 

After the inauguration ceremony, Nadiem told journalists that he welcomed his new and expanded portfolio. The former Gojek CEO also said that he looked forward to working together with BRIN to improve the quality of research and technological innovation at the country’s universities.

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